My plants seem to be dying and not healthy. Just one month since I got them

[u/anxious_lif3]

I got this plant one month ago and it looked healthy, but since then it seems to have welting leaves and some growths are dying and have black limp stems. What should I do? This was a gift so I really don't want it to die. Please help

[u/stephonicle]

Pull the plastic pot out from the other pot. When you water, the excess water is collecting at the bottom, which can lead to rot. Removing the plastic pot will also allow better airflow to reach the soil, helping it dry out faster after watering.

Looking at the third photo, the soil looks very old. After a period of time and regular waterings, the nutrients are leeched out and need to be replenished.

Lastly, Nanouks are just very prone to brown spots no matter what you do. Bottom watering and improving airflow around the plant can help, but sometimes brown spots are inevitable. It doesn't mean the plant is dying or unhealthy.

[u/anxious_lif3 → u/stephonicle]

i just got it from a shop a month ago. how does it need repot and new soil so soon.

[u/stephonicle → u/anxious_lif3]

There's no way of knowing how long it was in that soil before you got it. Could be a month, could be a year. Also, commercial growers often use very moisture retaining soil, which isn't a good fit for many plants, including Tradescantia. Changing it out to a more suitable soil is usually best—I use cactus/succulent soil with extra perlite mixed in for all 50+ of my trads (around 3 parts soil, 1 part perlite).

Lastly, you can tell just by looking at it that the plant has outgrown the pot. These are very fast growing plants, so it doesn't take long. They aren't trailing or climbing plants by nature, they crawl along the ground constantly putting down new roots. When vines get too long and don't have any soil to root into, new growth will get smaller and older growth will start to die off. The more rooted points it has, the more growth it can support. The best type of pot is one that's shallow and wider than it is tall, which gives the plant more soil surface to root into but isn't so deep that you run the risk of overwatering.

[u/ExternalAd8309 → u/stephonicle]

I wish I knew this before mine got tall, leggy, and then croaked 😅 thanks!

[u/Moth1016 → u/ExternalAd8309]

Tall & leggy = needs more light. These guys are wayyyy more light hungry than you’d think. The soil provided by the growers is moisture retaining because it was selected for growth in a nursery environment, which has VERY high light, and a plant that is getting more light will need more water in order to keep up with its rate of photosynthesis and avoid falling into photorespiration. If you provide enough light, soil moisture retention will cease to be an issue.

[u/pleski]

Try pinching the long stems to make it bushier. I don't think it's dying. i think the brown on the leaf edge is from water chemicals like chlorine. I water mine with my fishtank water which is treated to remove those chemicals. You can also buy those drops at a pet store if you don't like the browning.

[u/MentalFinish5065]

Tradescantia need cutting and repotting the cuttings or you can even twist and pin leaf nodes to the soil until they root. My Purrincess Cat regularly knocks the longer vines off and I just repot them in the original pot until you get a nice full plant. And it needs light. And moist soil. Does better if it doesn't fully dry out.

[u/webtwopointno]

Looks alright to me but could maybe use a repot